Road test permit pending for Cruise Origin in California

Cruise, an autonomous vehicle project curated by General Motors, has requested a permission from Californian authorities to test its Origin self-driving EV fleet on public roads. The state laws already permit semi-autonomous vehicle tests, but the Origin is a fully self-driving minibus with no manual overrides, making it a special case.

For the first time, the Cruise Origin will be tested on a limited number of predetermined routes, in good weather and capped at a top speed of 56 km/h (35 mph). Should everything go smoothly, the robotic buses will be gradually allowed to drive along more complicated routes with passengers on board.

GM reckons that the Origin can become the most desirable taxi service provider nationwide in the nearest future. By 2025, the project may bring its creators up to $1,000,000,000 of income per year.